Author: Ms Bich

Reba McEntire’s Nashville Mansion to Become 5-Star Luxury Resort [Pictures]

The massive Nashville mansion where Reba McEntire used to live is going to be the site of a 5-star luxury resort.

In a press release, the venue, which is called the Estate at Cherokee Dock, announced that it is now under the management of Nashville-based Infinity Hospitality, who have new plans for what is currently a country-themed events space.

McEntire used to live the high life at Starstruck Farm, a 13,000-square-foot stately manor home on 83 acres in Lebanon, Tenn. The house sold in 2017 for $5 million to a developer who turned it into an upscale events space.

The Estate at Cherokee Dock still features the spectacular grounds and views of Old Hickory Lake that McEntire once enjoyed, while the interior has been completely updated. The property boasts seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, home theater, wine room, eight-car garage, pool, guest house, barn and more top-dollar luxuries. The bedrooms have been decorated to pay tribute to some of country music’s all-time biggest stars, beginning with the master suite, which features a theme paying tribute to McEntire herself. The other rooms pay tribute to Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash.

The new management plans to take advantage iof the natural splendor of the property, which includes a lakeside dock, extensive gardens, high-end equestrian facility, paddocks, guest house, pool house, movie theater, outdoor tented pavilion and much more. The estate has undergone extensive renovations and additions over the past few years, and according to a press release, the Estate at Cherokee Dock “will now become the ideal setting for nationally recognized corporate events, retreats, charity galas, weddings, concerts and ticketed events.”

“Infinity Hospitality is thrilled to provide an event and lodging experience second to none in Tennessee, with full-service event design and planning, an on-site culinary program, custom bar selections, and vendor management for all services needed to create a once-in-a-lifetime event,” states Infinity Hospitality CEO Nathaniel Beaver. “In addition, Cherokee Dock’s hospitality director will also coordinate additional on-site amenities such as spa treatments, boating, fishing, golf, horseback riding, corporate team building activities, and live music for any occasion.”

For more information, visit the venue’s website. Scroll through the pictures below to see both the inside and the outside of the spectacular Estate at Cherokee Dock.

Reba McEntire’s former Nashville mansion is now turning into a 5-star resort. The 13,000-square-foot home on 83 acres in Lebanon, Tenn., features seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, home theater, wine room, eight-car garage, pool, guest house, barn and more.

The bedrooms have been decorated to pay tribute to McEntire, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash.

With recent additions over the last few years, the space is now set to become a resort and spa that’s “the ideal setting for nationally recognized corporate events, retreats, charity galas, weddings, concerts and ticketed events.”

PICTURES: See Inside Reba McEntire’s Former Manor Home That’s Now an Upscale Resort

Reba McEntire’s former Nashville mansion is now turning into a 5-star resort. The 13,000-square-foot home on 83 acres in Lebanon, Tenn., features seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, home theater, wine room, eight-car garage, pool, guest house, barn and more.

The bedrooms have been decorated to pay tribute to McEntire, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash.

With recent additions over the last few years, the space is now set to become a resort and spa that’s “the ideal setting for nationally recognized corporate events, retreats, charity galas, weddings, concerts and ticketed events.”

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com/Terry Wyatt, Getty Images

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

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The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

estate at cherokee dock pictures

The Estate at Cherokee Dock/www.cherokeedock.com

Read More: Reba McEntire’s Nashville Mansion to Become 5-Star Luxury Resort | https://tasteofcountry.com/reba-mcentire-nashville-mansion-5-star-resort-pictures-estate-at-cherokee-dock/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

How Dolly Parton Made And Spent The Royalties From Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’

The country icon and author of one of the most popular songs in recent history has paid tribute to Houston in an unexpected way.

 

Legendary singer and wonderful human Dolly Parton has recently revealed how she spent part of the royalties she has earned from her song ‘I Will Always Love You’.Parton wrote and recorded the song in 1973, nearly three decades before the late Whitney Houston turned it into a romantic ballad for her 1992 film The Bodyguard, also starring Kevin Costner, more recently seen in Yellowstone. Houston, who died in 2012 at the age of 48, was celebrated by Parton recently, as the country singer herself revealed in an interview with Andy Cohen.

 

Dolly Parton Gave Back To The Black Community In Honor Of Whitney Houston

In the 1990s, Parton made a whopping $10 million in royalties when Houston recorded a version of ‘I Will Always Love You’ for The Bodyguard.

The ‘Jolene’ singer has opened up on using some the royalties she has made from Houston’s cover to build an office complex in Nashville, in her native state of Tennessee.

“I bought my big office complex down in Nashville,” Parton explained on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.

“It was mostly just Black families and people that lived around there,” Parton said of the neighborhood where she bought the building to be turned into offices..

“It was just off the beaten path from 16th Avenue and I thought, ‘Well I am going to buy this place.’ It was a whole strip mall. And I thought, ‘This is the perfect place for me to be, considering it was Whitney.’”

She went on: “I just thought, ‘This was great. I’m going to be down here with her people, who are my people as well.’ And so I just love the fact that I spent that money on a complex. And I think, ‘This is the house that Whitney built.’ ”

The Real Story Behind Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’

Houston’s soul arrangement turned the country song into a romantic ballad, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks. The cover became the best-selling single from a female artist in the US and earned the late singer a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1994.

Despite being perceived in popular culture as a love song, Parton wrote it with a different kind of breakup in mind: leaving a professional partner. The country singer penned it for her mentor and on-screen duet partner Porter Wagoner after the two hit a roadblock in their relationship: Dolly was ready to fly solo, while Porter wanted to continue their professional partnership.

“There was a lot of grief and heartache there, and he just wasn’t listening to my reasoning for my going,” Dolly told CMT in 2011.

“I thought, ‘Well, why don’t you do what you do best? Why don’t you just write this song?’… so I went home and out of a very emotional place in me at that time, I wrote the song, ‘I Will Always Love You.’”

“It’s saying, ‘Just because I’m going don’t mean I won’t love you. I appreciate you and I hope you do great and I appreciate everything you’ve done, but I’m out of here,’” she told The Tennessean in 2015.

After listening to it, Wagoner understood Parton’s motives. He cried and agreed to part ways, but asked to produce Parton’s record, deeming ‘I Will Always Love You’ “the best song [Dolly] ever wrote.”

Whitney Houston Wasn’t The Only Artist Interested In Covering ‘I Will Always Love You’

Throughout the years, ‘I Will Always Love You’ has been recorded by many artists, including Linda Ronstadt and John Doe. Arguably, no one’s version was as popular as that sung by Houston, which helped cemented the cult status of Parton’s music and lyrics.

Things could’ve gone a lot differently had Parton agreed to let Elvis Presley record the song. The King was apparently very keen on singing his own rendition of the 1973 track, but savvy businesswoman Parton reluctantly declined since his management asked for a 50% stake in the song’s publishing royalties.

“I said, ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t give you the publishing.’ I wanted to hear Elvis sing it, and it broke my heart—I cried all night,” Parton told W Magazine in 2021.

“But I had to keep that copyright in my pocket. You have to take care of your business! Everybody’s going to use you if they can. These are my songs—they’re like my children. And I expect them to support me when I’m old!”

As it turns out, Parton made the right decision in keeping the rights, as the song became one of the most celebrated and popular romantic ballads, being featured in several films as well as an episode of Gilmore Girls in which Lorelai (Lauren Graham) sings the Dolly Parton version during karaoke night, clearly thinking about Luke (Scott Patterson). And apparently, Elvis did get to belt it too, after all.

“Priscilla, Elvis’s wife, told me that when she and Elvis divorced, Elvis sang my song to her. That touched me so deeply,” Parton shared. “And they also played the song at Whitney Houston’s funeral. After that, I thought, I bet they’ll play the same song when I go.”

These 8 Artists Are Truly Inspired By Dolly Parton

Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and many other superstars credit a part of their success to Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton is a trailblazer in the music industry, and she looked fabulous while doing it. It is no surprise that she has had a tremendous influence on country music throughout her entire career. She has even written amazing songs like “I Will Always Love You” that will touch the hearts of everyone who hears them for years to come. Given her amazing successes, many modern singers and artists look to her as a guide throughout their careers. They follow in her footsteps, and they are grateful for the work she has put in before them. Here are some artists that have been deeply inspired by Dolly Parton.

8 Martina McBride

From the start of her singing career, Martina McBride was recognized for her potential. She immediately had the support of country music pioneers like Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton. McBride was recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and you can see a letter from Dolly Parton there that shows how much she supported McBride. Also, you can hear Dolly’s influence in her music.

7 Ashley Monroe

It is no doubt that Ashley Monroe has a deep connection to the iconic country music star, Dolly Parton. She has shaped the sound of her own voice to honor that of Dolly Parton. In fact, Monroe feels so close to Dolly that she feels they might as well be related. Dolly Parton has inspired her to do what she wants, simply because she wants to.

6 Jennifer Nettles

It is clear that Dolly Parton has significantly influenced Jennifer Nettles. Nettles even played the role of Avie Lee Parton in Dolly Parton’s movie Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors. Jennifer spends a lot of time with Dolly, and it is no wonder how she has influenced her career.

5 Reba McEntire

Despite being one of country music’s most celebrated female artists herself, Reba McEntire credits her success to Dolly Parton. McEntire has always acknowledged the profound effect that Dolly has had on the country music scene. Additionally, she recognizes the personal influences that Dolly Parton has had on her career and on her personally.

4 Kacey Musgraves

Despite her modern flair, Kacey Musgraves is often compared to Dolly Parton (who happens to be her number one inspiration.) When talking about her next album, Musgraves highlighted how much Dolly Parton has influenced her music, her style, and her approach to life in general. Kacey Musgraves emulates Dolly Parton in every way she can as a way to honor her.

3 Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood has been personally inspired and influenced by Dolly Parton since the start of her career. She feels a personal connection to the country music legend and looks to her for wisdom about life. Underwood feels like Parton has lived her life, and she is inspired by how successful she is now.

2 Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift would not be where she is today if not for the trailblazing that Dolly Parton did. Swift recognizes this, and that is why she puts her whole heart into her music career. She has done so well that Dolly Parton praised her songwriting skills. Since Dolly Parton is an expert writer herself, this compliment is a high honor, and it surely inspired Taylor Swift.

1 Miley Cyrus

It is obvious that Miley Cyrus would be inspired by her superstar of a godmother, Dolly Parton. Dolly has played a huge maternal role in Cyrus’ life since she was young. Miley even credits some of her musical pursuits to Dolly. Now, Miley Cyrus says that she was inspired by Dolly Parton to be who she is, unapologetically.

 

The Real Reason Dolly Parton Wears Long Sleeves And Gloves Has Nothing To Do With Wanting To Hide Her Tattoos

Many believe that Dolly Parton wears long sleeves and gloves to conceal her tattoos, but this isn’t entirely accurate.

Dolly Parton may not be putting her tattoos on full display, but she has a body art collection. However, one would be hard-pressed to track down any images of her ink. This is because Parton is notorious for covering her arms with long gloves and sleeves.

But Parton isn’t doing this to hide her tattoos. Here’s why she really covers her arms…

How Many Tattoos Does Dolly Parton Have?

Dolly Parton is believed to have a secret collection of tattoos, and according to Jezebel, they cover her arms and her breasts. How do they know this? In a 2013 interview with Jennifer Saunders, Parton is believed to have shown her tattoos, with Saunders noting her breasts were covered with “the most beautiful angels and beautiful butterflies and baskets of flowers in pastel-colored tattoos.”

Despite not showing off her tattoos, Parton has admitted to having them. “I have a few little tattoos here and there,” she said in a 2021 interview with W magazine. “Most of my tattoos came because I’m very fair, and I have a tendency to scar when I get any kind of cut. I’ve had surgeries for different things, and if the scars didn’t heal properly, I just gotta put tattoos to take the sting out. I don’t have the real heavy, dark tattoos. Mine are all pastel. And I have more than one!” Again, it was noted that she loves butterflies.

However, the question about just how many tattoos she has and what her collection includes remains unanswered and is something only Dolly Parton herself (or her inner circle) can tell us. This brings us to the next thing; the fan theory as to why does she always cover her arms?

Why Does Dolly Parton Always Cover Her Arms?

If you are a fan of Dolly Parton (and really, it’s hard not to be because so many adore her), you will notice that she often wears long-sleeved clothing. She pairs her ensemble with long gloves if it’s not long sleeves. The belief is that she does this to prevent people from seeing her arms, which are heavily tattooed. While that could be one reason she does this, it is not the only one.

Creative director Steve Summers gave an answer to InStyle about why Dolly Parton covers her arms. In 2019, he said: “People always ask why she always wears sleeves — well, she’s 73 years old, and she doesn’t like her elbows. [They ask] ‘What’s wrong with her hands?’ She’s 73, and she doesn’t like them! It’s a normal woman thing.”

And then there’s the corrective surgery suggestion. According to The Sun, her fan, Duane Gordon, shared a theory for why Parton was wearing fingerless gloves more often.

“She has even been asked about them on a couple of television interviews, and she joked about them, saying in one she was wearing them because she was cold and in another because she thought they were cute,” he said.

“However, I can relay third-hand information that she was asked about the gloves by fans while filming scenes for her upcoming movie Joyful Noise and told them that last year she had had corrective hand surgery (medical, not cosmetic), and it left a scar that she’s covering. Again, I’ve not heard that directly from Dolly or her management, but I’m told that’s the answer she gave privately in Atlanta to those who asked.”

Fans are so invested in why Parton does not wear sleeves that it has become the subject of much debate, and people have even created videos on social media to explore the various theories. Another reason could be because she has keloid scars. Dolly Parton discussed this in an interview with Vanity Fair.

“Most of the tattoos, when I first started, I was covering up some scars that I had, ’cause I have a tendency to have keloid scar tissue, and I have a tendency where, if I have any kind of scars anywhere, then they kind of have a purple tinge that I can never get rid of,” she told the publication. “So mine are all pastels, what few that I have, and they’re meant to cover some scars. I’m not trying to make some big, bold statement.”

What Has Dolly Parton Said About Being Insecure?

Dolly Parton is one of the most liked women in the music industry (and she has inspired many other artists) and has a reputation for being kind. But what many fans probably don’t realize is that she was once very insecure about her appearance. Parton addressed her insecurities in her book, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business.

“The quest for beauty has always been a struggle for me,” she wrote (via CheatSheet). “I can’t remember anybody ever saying that I was one of the more beautiful children they had ever seen. I was a pale, skinny little thing with corn teeth and hair that was fine and close to my head. And there were those hated freckles. You could not have said I was as ‘cute as a speckled pup’ without expecting the speckled pup to [pee] on your leg out of resentment.”

In her interviews as an adult, she made powerful statements about knowing who she is, and when Dolly Parton speaks, you listen. One particular interview stands out, and that was with the late Barbara Walters. Their chat dates back to 1977 (via Elle), and Walters was criticizing Parton’s appearance, telling her:

“You don’t have to look like this, you’re very beautiful, you don’t have to wear the blonde wigs, you don’t have to wear the extreme clothes, right?” The response Parton gave was every bit as awesome as you would expect.

“It’s certainly a choice,” she said. “I don’t like to be like everybody else. I would never stoop so low to be fashionable, that’s the easiest thing in the world to do.” When asked by Walters if she feels like a joke, Parton clapped back (of course, Barbara Walters was no stranger to asking tough questions).

“Oh, I know they make fun of me, but all these years, the people have thought the joke was on me, but it’s actually on them,” she said. “I am sure of myself as a person. I am sure of my talent. I’m sure of my love for life and that sort of thing. I am very content, I like the kind of person that I am. So, I can afford to piddle around and do-diddle around with makeup and clothes and stuff because I am secure with myself.”

Ladies and gentlemen, if you ever need a reminder that you are awesome and do not need to fit into a conventional mold, this is it!

What Happened Between Dolly Parton And Elvis Presley?

Dolly Parton once rejected a request from Elvis Presley despite describing him as her “kin.”

Dolly Parton has inspired a lot of artists and is loved by many due to her saint-like reputation. So fans were somewhat surprised when she revealed that she once rejected a creative request from the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Here’s what really happened between them.

Inside Dolly Parton & Elvis Presley’s Relationship

A year after Presley’s tragic death in 1977, Parton said that she could relate to the Hound Dog performer. “I always felt that we were kin,” she told Playboy, per the book Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton.

“I feel like I know exactly how he was. Every time he’d come in town, even if I was home, I just wouldn’t go, somethin’ always kept me from goin’. There were other people I liked to hear sing better, but there was nobody that I ever related to more.”

In the same interview, the Jolene hitmaker reflected on how the singer-turned-movie star had become an icon. “He was very loving, very emotional, very sensitive, very giving, very humble, thankful, grateful,” she explained. “I always felt that he was totally in awe of his own success and he didn’t quite understand why he had been so chosen and why he was such an idol.”

Both Parton and Presley struggled with money before fame. The latter grew up in public housing or low-rent homes in the poor areas of North Memphis. His father, Vernon also worked odd jobs and was sentenced to three years in prison for forging a $4 check. The “cursed” legend once told Life Mag of his rags-to-riches story:

“I don’t regard money or position as important. But I can never forget the longing to be someone. I guess if you are poor, you always think bigger and want more than those who have everything when they are born.”

Dolly Parton Refused To Let Elvis Presley Cover ‘I Will Always Love You’

Presley actually sang Parton’s 1974 hit, I Will Always Love You to his ex-wife Priscilla while they were leaving their divorce courtroom. In The Big Issue’s Letter To My Younger Self, the Grace & Frankie guest star shared: “Priscilla told me later that he sang that song to her when they were coming down the steps of the courthouse after they divorced. That really touched me.”

So it was no surprise when Presley reached out to Parton, asking if he could cover the song. The 9 to 5 alum said she was “so excited” about it that she immediately broke the news to her friends. “I told everybody. They had called me [to tell me] that Elvis was recording it. Elvis wanted to meet me and all that.”

Unfortunately, when Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker called her to discuss the terms of the collaboration, they failed to reach an agreement. “You know, we don’t record anything with Elvis unless we have the publishing, or at least half the publishing,” Parton recalled on Living and Learning with Reba McEntire.

“Well, that throws a new light on this because I can’t give you half the publishing. I’m gonna leave that to my family. I can’t do that,” she continued, noting that she “cried” over the matter. “I cried all night. Oh, I just pictured Elvis, like, singing it. And I know that Elvis loved it. And I know it wasn’t him, but it’s true. I said no.”

Dolly Parton On Whitney Houston’s Cover Of ‘I Will Always Love You’

About two decades after turning down Presley’s request, Whitney Houston recorded a chart-topping rendition of I Will Always Love You. When Parton first heard it on the radio, she almost didn’t recognize the song. At that time, only knew that Kevin Costner wanted to use the song for their 1992 film, The Bodyguard. “I knew it was something, but it didn’t register,” she later told SiriusXM.

“I thought ‘What is that? I know what that is.’ And then all of a sudden she starts that … when she goes into the ‘I will always love you’ part, honest-to-goodness, I almost wrecked. I had to pull over.”

Dolly Parton added that she’d never forget that moment. “I was afraid because I was so caught up in that by then that I had to pull over and listen to it,” she remembered. “But it was the most overwhelming feeling that little song mine could be done so beautifully, so big, so overwhelming, that it really almost just heart attack right there; I’ll never forget it.”

When asked what she felt about Houston making it a bigger hit than she did, Parton jokingly said that she’s fine with it as long as she gets her royalty checks.

In 2021, she used all that money to support a Black neighborhood in Nashville. “It was off the beaten path from 16th Avenue,” she said. “And I thought, ‘Well, I am going to buy this place, the whole strip mall.’ And thought, ‘This is the perfect place for me to be,’ considering it was Whitney.”

Parton added said that she “would’ve loved” performing a duet with Houston. She quipped:

“I would’ve loved that, but I don’t think I could come up to snuff with her though. She would’ve outsung me on that one for sure.”

Is Dolly Parton In An Open Marriage?

Married since 1966, Dolly Parton and Carl Thomas Dean have a unique relationship, to say the least.

Dolly Parton has been married to her husband, Carl Thomas Dean since 1966. When recently asked about the secret to their 56-year marriage, the Jolene hitmaker said that they “just work so well together.” However, the two have long been rumored to be in an open relationship. The 9 to 5 star addressed it at one point, saying, “Men are my weakness.”

Here’s the truth about Parton’s controversial marriage.

Who Is Dolly Parton’s Husband, Carl Thomas Dean?

Dean is the complete opposite of Parton. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in January 2023, the latter said of her husband: “He’s kind of a loner, so he doesn’t really like being with anybody but me — when I’m home — I mean, he’s not one to kind of get out there and socialize that much. He loves living on the farm, taking care of the property as he has for all these many years, and then, we just have a lot to talk about.” Dean also runs an asphalt-laying company in Nashville.

Parton added that although Dean isn’t into all that Hollywood biz, he’s always had the same passion for music. “He loves music, but he’s not in the music business at all, so we have different things to talk about, his world and my world, and we work really well together,” explained the I Will Always Love You composer. “We have a lot of love and respect for each other, and I think the key to all of it — we both have a crazy, warped sense of humor, so we have a lot of fun.”

The couple first met at a laundromat in 1964. Parton was 18, and Dean was 21. “I’d come to Nashville with dirty clothes,” Parton told the New York Times. “I was in such a hurry to get here — and after I’d put my clothes in the machine, I started walkin’ down the street, just lookin’ at my new home, and this guy hollered at me, and I waved. Bein’ from the country, I spoke to everybody. And he came over and, well, it was Carl, my husband.”

“My first thought was I’m gonna marry that girl,” Dean later said of their meet cute. “My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began.”

Is Dolly Parton In An Open Marriage With Carl Thomas Dean?

In her book Dolly on Dolly, Parton set the record straight on her “open relationship” with her husband.

“Men are my weakness,” she said. “Short, fat, bald or skinny — I’ve had crushes on some very unusual men but Carl knows I’ll always come home and I’m not having sex with these people — I’m just flirting and having fun.”

She added: “He is not jealous and I’m not jealous of him. He knows I flirt. He flirts too. Yes, it’s an open relationship, but not sexually and I would kill him if I thought he was doing that. He would shoot me too. At the end of the day we love each other madly.”

In 2008, she also clarified that Dean didn’t have an affair with the bank teller that inspired Jolene. “She got this terrible crush on my husband,” she told NPR.

“And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’ So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.”

Years later, she told the crowd at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England that she eventually “got rid” of the teller. “I wrote that years ago when my husband … was spending a little more time with Jolene than I thought he should be,” she shared. “I put a stop to that. I got rid of that redhead woman in a hurry.”

Does Dolly Parton Have Kids?

Parton and her husband don’t have any children. “I don’t know that I won’t have children someday,” said the Guinness record-breaker back in 1977. “But it’s just not possible for me to bear children and leave them for somebody else to raise while I have a career. If I wait until I’m naturally too old to have children, I can always adopt them.”

The fan-declared saint added: “When I listen to my own things, I think to myself, ‘I was the mother of that.’”

Carl Thomas Dean Lives A Very Secretive Life Despite Being Married To Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton has explained why her husband has stayed out of the spotlight after being married to a legend for more than 50 years.

 

In 1966, Dolly Parton and a man named Carl Dean Thomas tied the knot. As of the time of this writing, Parton and Thomas have been married for more than fifty years and there is no indication their relationship will ever end in divorce.Given that Thomas has been married to one of the most beloved stars of her generation, you’d probably think there would be loads of photos of him with Parton. While it certainly is possible to find photos of Parton and Thomas online, very few images of the couple together are available publicly.Related: Twitter Continues To Love Dolly Parton As She Uses Royalties From ‘I Will Always Love You’ To Invest A Black NeighborhoodSince Parton has been revealing secrets about her life and career in recent months, fans have learned more and more about who she is. However, there is a major fact about Parton’s life that most of her fans don’t know about.While it is common knowledge among Parton’s fans that she has been married for decades, many of her followers know next to nothing about her husband. Most notably, a lot of Parton’s fans don’t know why her husband has barely ever appeared by her side in public.

How Has Dolly Parton Stay Married For So Long?

During Dolly Parton’s life, she has accomplished a long list of extremely impressive things. That said, one of her most impressive achievements has got to be her commitment to longevity.

As of the time of this writing, Parton is 76 years old according to Wikipedia and her career is still going strong after decades in the business. On top of that, when Parton celebrated fifty years of being married to Carl Dean Thomas, she did so by proving her commitment once again by renewing her vows.

Before Parton and Thomas walked down the aisle, they had an unusual first meeting. According to reports, soon after Parton moved to Nashville, she was at a laundromat cleaning her clothes when Thomas drove by.

Struck by Parton even from afar in his car, Thomas reportedly stopped to warn Dolly she would get a sunburn in the revealing clothes she was wearing. Years later when the couple celebrated their 50th anniversary, Thomas revealed what went through his mind during that first meeting with Dolly.

“My first thought was I’m gonna marry that girl. My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin’. And that was the day my life began. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth.”

During a 2019 interview that will be touched on more later in this article, Parton spoke about the key to her marriage lasting so long.

“I always joke and laugh when people ask me what’s the key to my long marriage and lasting love. I always say ‘Stay gone!’ and there’s a lot of truth to that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we’re together and the little things we do.”

Why Dolly Parton’s Husband Carl Dean Thomas Avoids The Spotlight

In this day and age, one thing has become extremely clear, virtually everyone wants to be famous. After all, many people are either uploading videos on YouTube or posting on social media in hopes of being discovered and becoming a star.

Unlike young people who dream of being YouTubers someday, it has been clear for a very long time that Dolly Parton’s husband doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. Instead, it has clearly always been Carl Dean Thomas’ desire to support Parton from the sidelines.

In 2019, Parton appeared at an event to celebrate the premiere of her Netflix series Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings. While on the red carpet at that event, an interviewer for People asked Parton about her longtime husband. In response, the country legend explained that she understands that her husband doesn’t want to attend industry events.

“He’s always supporting me as long as I don’t try to drag him in on it. He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he’s at home. I don’t think they’re probably showing much of this on TV and if they do, he might see it. But anyway, he’d never come dragging around,”

From there, Parton went on to say something that might shock some people. “I’d rather bring somebody else with me, you know?” However, Parton went on to explain that Thomas is fine with her bringing other people on red carpets. “He’s never jealous of that either.”

Even though Parton didn’t outright say that she doesn’t want to bring her husband to events because he hates them, that seemed to be the implication. After all, according to the Daily Mail, Thomas once attended an industry event with Parton but then he told her that he wasn’t going to do that again.

“Dolly, I want you to have everything you want, and I’m happy for you, but don’t you ever ask me to go to another one of them dang things again!”

Ashley McBryde Dresses As Reba McEntire To Prank Dierks Bentley During Hot Country Knights Set [WATCH]

Ashley McBryde joined the Beers on Me Tour with Dierks Bentley and Travis Denning back in May, building close relationships with everyone on the tour. So when the tour came to a close in late August, she decided to go…

Ashley McBryde; Photo Courtesy of TikTok

Ashley McBryde joined the Beers on Me Tour with Dierks Bentley and Travis Denning back in May, building close relationships with everyone on the tour. So when the tour came to a close in late August, she decided to go out with a fiery, fancy bang.

The “Girl Going Nowhere” singer shared a portrait of her road family from the Beers on Me Tour, hinting at possible mischief in her caption, “Family portrait time. This has been our road family since May 2022. Meals together, laughs together, weird-to-navigate-times together and most importantly, SHOWS together. Dierks, makes it so easy to feel like family. I’m grateful to get to work with every person pictured here. It’s sad to see it come to an end. But I’m so damn happy it happened and I’m looking forward to working together again. Now then. Time for pranks. #beersonmetour #dierksbentley #travisdenning #hotcountryknights #ourladyofthehighway”

McBryde followed through on that prank promise, surprising Bentley on stage while dressed as Reba McEntire.

In a TikTok post, McBryde shared a video of herself wearing a wig of long, curly red hair, a black western shirt, denim shirt, and black cowboy boots. While removing her wig after walking off stage, she says, “We just pulled our first really successful prank off on Dierks. We went out as Reba and her band. And that concludes the Beers on Me Tour for us.”

@ashleymcbrydemusic

Gotcha @dierksbentley 😏 whatcha think, did I make a good @Reba McEntire? #prank #reba #beersonme

♬ original sound – Ashley McBryde

The video continues, showing McBryde standing side stage while Bentley’s Hot Country Knights band performs. She then makes her grand entrance, performing Reba’s “Little Rock” alongside Bentley’s alter ego Doug Douglason.

She captioned the clip, “Gotcha @dierksbentley 😏 whatcha think, did I make a good @Reba McEntire? #prank #reba #beersonme”

The Hot Country Knights showed McBryde some love after the performance on Instagram, teasing her appearance at the Seven Peaks Festival with the caption “one of our favorite gals will be at @sevenpeaksfest this weekend… counting down the days til we bring the 90s back THIS FRIDAY..!!!!!”

McBryde’s most recent album, Never Will, includes the top 20 single “One Night Standards” and “Martha Divine.”

The Arkansas native, who won the 2021 CMA Music Event of the Year for “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” with Carly Pearce, will be joining select dates of The Judds: The Final Tour along with Martina McBride.

WATCH: Reba McEntire Surprises Kansas Teacher With $10,000 Donation & Free Concert Tickets

One of Reba McEntire’s biggest fans just received the surprise of a lifetime! Katie Banks-Todd, a passionate drama teacher from El Dorado, Kansas, was honored during one of her recent shifts at school. Unbeknownst to her, she was the winner…

Katie Banks-Todd, Reba McEntire; Photo Courtesy of One Country/YouTube

One of Reba McEntire’s biggest fans just received the surprise of a lifetime! Katie Banks-Todd, a passionate drama teacher from El Dorado, Kansas, was honored during one of her recent shifts at school. Unbeknownst to her, she was the winner of a prize. And she received that prize from the three-time GRAMMY winner, McEntire herself.

McEntire teamed up with One Country to give Banks-Todd a check worth $10,000 to go toward her school’s music/arts program. Banks-Todd was also given a bonus gift – concert tickets to McEntire’s show at Intrust Bank Arena. The giveaway was all part of One Country’s Ultimate Christmas Giveaway, which pays it forward to a deserving teacher that makes a difference by supporting music and arts education in rural communities.

A video posted on the charitable giveaway company’s website shows the sweet moment when Banks-Todd gets pulled away from her drama classroom to receive the heartwarming surprise.

Reba McEntire Surprises Teacher With $10,000 Donation To Her School’s Music/Arts Program

In this clip, as shown above, kids can be seen inside the El Dorado High School commons, waiting for Banks-Todd to arrive. But as with her, they’re unaware of what’s about to happen.

“People are confused. Super excited. Everybody’s wondering what’s going on,” EHS Principal Erin Nichols tells the person filming the video.

Once Banks-Todd arrives in the commons, her students give her an enormous round of cheers. McEntire, then, appears on a giant screen to tell Banks-Todd why she had been pulled away from her classroom.

“Hey Katie, this is Reba McEntire. I heard about the amazing work you’re doing to support children in the arts in your hometown. Way to go!” McEntire says in the clip. “I just love hearing about people like you. In fact, our friends at One Country love you so much. They wrote you a check for $10,000 to support your local music/arts program. I’d also like to invite you to my show tomorrow night. So you can have a night off to relax and have fun with us.”

Reba McEntire; Photo Courtesy of One Country/YouTube

Katie Banks-Todd Graciously Thanked Her Students

After hearing from McEntire, Banks-Todd’s reaction is priceless. Her jaw drops at the news, and she can’t help but try to hold back her tears.

“I love you guys! I love Reba!” she says when she’s handed the microphone. “Oh my gosh! This is so fancy! Wow. That’s incredible. I’m shaking. I don’t know what to say except thank you, very, very, very much.”

Indeed, Banks-Todd is a deserving candidate for the gift. Banks-Todd returned to her hometown following a successful career on Broadway. Part of her dream has been to support children in music and the arts through her extensive educational knowledge and prior experience. She currently teaches at multiple formal learning institutions, including El Dorado High School and El Dorado Middle School.

“The kids love her. Parents love her. She’s like a singing whisperer. She can make anyone a singer. You can come into her with no talent whatsoever. But, if you just have the drive to learn, she can teach you,” Lori Christy, the bookkeeper at El Dorado High School, emotionally shared with Banks-Todd. “To watch your kid fall in love with something because of one person is pretty awesome as a parent. No one deserves this more than that woman. She’s the best. But anyone who meets her would know that. So, love you, Katie.”

Reba McEntire; Photo Courtesy of Elisabeth Garcia

“She’s always just upbeat, and even when you can tell she’s a little bit frustrated and tired, she always just finds a way to bring happiness and joy into the room,” one of Banks-Todd’s students adds. “The whole room lights up whenever she walks in.”

Footage in the clip also features Banks-Todd having the time of her life at McEntire’s show.

Reba McEntire is a woman of many talents. She can sing, she can dance, she can act and she can do something to a bull that very few (if any) country women would ever dream of doing. But that’s just one of the many facts about the country superstar that may surprise you.

Although she’s a country music icon now, McEntire’s career got off to a rocky start. Her first single, “I Don’t Want to Be a One Night Stand,” arrived in 1978, but it was a bust. Her next four singles also failed to make an impression, but slowly, things began to change. In 1979, she scored a Top 20 hit, and a year later, she cracked the Top 10. Finally, in 1982, “Can’t Even Get the Blues” hit No. 1, and the most famous redhead in country music history hasn’t looked back.

Fans who’ve followed her for more than 40 years might know most of these 10 things about McEntire, but there is bound to be a surprise or two. The less committed fan will see this iconic singer differently by the end of this list.

10 Surprising Things You Never Knew About Reba McEntire:

1. She’s pals with former President George H. W. Bush.

Tommaso Boddi, Getty Images

1. She’s pals with former President George H. W. Bush.

In 2006, McEntire told Entertainment Weekly that she and the former president keep in touch via email. “Matter of fact, I was in New York one time during the World Series watching the game, and I saw President Bush and Barbara sittin’ behind home plate. I get on my Treo, and I e-mail him, ‘Hey, I see you on TV. Have a hot dog for me.’ I see him elbowing Barbara, and pointin’ down to his Treo. Then he’s just workin’ on it. Pretty soon I get a message back from him: ‘Wait ’til so-and-so gets up to bat, and I’ll wave at ya.’”

2. ‘Reba’ was almost called ‘Sally’.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

2. ‘Reba’ was almost called ‘Sally’.

True story! McEntire’s hit WB television show Reba almost had a different name. Actually, it almost had a completely different lead! McEntire tells country radio DJ Bobby Bones that the show was actually meant to star iconic actor Sally Field (hence the show’s name). When Field turned the project down, McEntire stepped in, but producers wanted to keep the show’s (and her character’s) name the same; in fact, they even taped two versions of the pilot episode, one with her character’s name as Sally and one with her name as Reba.

It gets even wilder, though: During “upfronts” — when a network promotes its lineup — McEntire says the show was called Deep in the Heart, because it’s set in the Houston, Texas, area. It wasn’t until the very last minute that the show’s title was changed to Reba — and, really, thank goodness it was!

3. Wynonna Judd was the first choice for her “Does He Love You” duet partner.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

3. Wynonna Judd was the first choice for her “Does He Love You” duet partner.

McEntire’s 1993 duet with Linda Davis was originally intended to be with another country legend. She once told Country Weekly that her label was pushing for Wynonna Judd to share vocals on “Does He Love You,” a song that produced a somewhat controversial and definitely dramatic music video. McEntire wanted Davis (mother to Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum), so she suggested that Davis record it as a fill-in. “But she just knocked it out of the ballpark,” McEntire says — so they kept her.

4. She passed on a No. 1 hit for George Strait.

David Becker, Getty Images for SiriusXM

4. She passed on a No. 1 hit for George Strait.

George Strait’s No. 1 hit from 1984 could have gone to McEntire, but the singer says she passed on “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” because it made a reference to beer. The song ended up as the title track on Strait’s fourth album, and McEntire notched her own No. 1 hit that year with “How Blue.”

5. In her spare time, she enjoys photography.

Jason Kempin, Getty Images for ACM

5. In her spare time, she enjoys photography.

Yeah, McEntire somehow has spare time. She tells  the Boot that she loves to “piddle” with her camera (“I love when people send me pictures that I don’t have,” she adds). Other things she enjoys doing her spare time: trap and skeet shooting, and going on vacations.

6. There are three singing McEntires.

Amy Sussman, Getty Images

6. There are three singing McEntires.

Reba isn’t the only McEntire with a country hit. Her brother Pake scored a Top 5 hit with “Savin’ My Love for You” in 1986, and her sister Susie is a gospel singer. When they were young, the family band was quite a local sensation; they played rodeos throughout the Midwest until Reba went off to college. All three were accustomed to life on the road by that point, so when she set off on her own, she often knew how to handle a map better than her bus driver.

7. Faith Hill auditioned for her band, but …

David J. Phillip, Getty Images

7. Faith Hill auditioned for her band, but …

She didn’t get the job. Hill was looking to be a backup singer, but McEntire says she didn’t think the future star was right for the gig. It ended up being a life-saving rejection: Paula Kay Evans was the singer who got the job, and she was one of McEntire’s eight band and crew members killed in a plane crash near San Diego, Calif., in March of 1991. Hill says she doesn’t think fate had anything to do with it: “I wasn’t a great background singer, and I didn’t get the part,” she tells Larry King.

8. She “tended” to the bulls.

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

8. She “tended” to the bulls.

In her 1995 autobiography, McEntire talks about her early days with the bulls: It was her job to help castrate them, and afterward, she and her two sisters would carry a bucket of testicles to the house and clean them.

“We called them mountain oysters,” she writes (quote via Country Weekly). “Then we’d take them in to Mama, and she’d slice them thin, roll them in flour and fry them in hot grease in a huge cast-iron skillet. I was literally raised on mountain oysters.”

Is it any wonder the singer became a superstar in a industry dominated by men?

9. After that plane crash, she turned to Waylon Jennings.

Isaac Brekken, Getty Images for ACM

9. After that plane crash, she turned to Waylon Jennings.

You see, Jennings had given up his seat on the plane that crashed on Feb. 3, 1959, killing Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and others, so he was one of very few people who could relate to McEntire’s anguish. In her autobiography, she tells how he encouraged her not to feel guilty: “It wasn’t meant for you to be on that plane or you would have been. So don’t blame yourself, and don’t feel guilty,” she says Jennings told her.

10. She wanted to be a teacher.

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

10. She wanted to be a teacher.

McEntire’s mom was a schoolteacher, and the future star majored in elementary education at Southeastern Oklahoma State University while minoring in music. Raise your hand if you wish this country legend was the one teaching you the “three Rs” all those years ago … We imagine she’d be the Mary Poppins of the classroom!

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